Summary:
Agra: The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has re-introduced pension for Yash Bharti and Padma awardees with 50% reduction in the amount of money and with strict riders. The beneficiaries have been told to submit all their details again before July 31.According to the notification, Yash Bharti and Padma awardees will get Rs 25,000 as monthly pension, only if they are not drawing any other government pension and do not pay income tax. The government had also received formal complaints about arbitrary distribution and “wastage” of taxpayers’ money.According to sources, around 172 Yash Bharti awardees, including film stars, sportsmen, singers and social workers, who had applied for the pension, got it till February 2017. The awardees would have to furnish the required information each year on a prescribed format, which would be cross-checked and verified by a five-member committee set up for the purpose before disbursal of pension. The committee will be headed by the director of the state culture department.Noted Hindi poet late Gopal Das Neeraj had met CM Yogi Adityanath along with other beneficiaries in June and requested him to restart the pension..